Pak parliament suggested to adopt a resolution regretting 1971

Dhaka, Apr 18 (UNI) Pakistan parliament was suggested today to adopt a resolution regretting the atrocities during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 to help reduce bitterness between Dhaka and Islamabad.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen(retd) Sakhawat Hossain, a security analyst, made the suggestion while talking to reporters on the sideline of a two-day conference on 'Regional Stability and Cooperation: The Role of Bangladesh and Pakistan' at a city hotel here.

"There exist many thorny affairs in the relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. History will have to be recognised and both the countries will have to move forward recognising the history, Sakhawat told the conference attended by young professionals from both the countries.

"Therefore, I suggest Pakistan parliament can adopt a resolution.

They can regret for what happened during the emergence of Bangladesh.

"Although Pakistan President regretted. But he did it in his capacity. If the people's representatives do it in parliament, the bitterness will reduce, especially among the youth," he said.

On the need of having a mechanism to address the conflicts among the SAARC countries, Sakhawat said there could be tri-lateral discussions among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He said all the countries in the region are plagued with the problems of militancy involving Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

"This can be a destabilising factor unless we can stop extremism in all the religions," he added.

Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Dr Faiz said in the present-day scenario, Bangladesh and Pakistan need to work together and that the need for regional stability and cooperation cannot be over emphasised.

Dr Faiz said the crucial significance of maintaining regional stability and cooperation for peace and prosperity of all the concerned nations is now unequivocally established. "When the global economy is benefiting from different types of regional cooperation, the region of South Asia is still lagging behind in this regard." "There is no doubt that there is much to reap from the mutual benefits of cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan," he said.

Pakistan High Commissioner Alamgir Babar said Bangladesh and Pakistan have to learn and gain from each other as they hold common views on all the international platforms.

UNI